CNS Treatment Techniques Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is indicated for malignant tumors that are incompletely excised?
Radiation therapy is indicated for malignant tumors that are incompletely excised, inaccessible from a surgical approach, and associated with metastatic lesions.
What is the preferred treatment for metastatic brain lesions?
Whole brain irradiation has been the preferred treatment for metastatic brain lesions.
What is the common treatment for patients with a single, unresectable brain metastasis?
Whole brain radiation with a SRS boost is the common treatment.
What type of fields are used for whole brain irradiation for palliative reasons?
Lateral portal fields are used for the whole brain for palliative reasons.
Where may the inferior margin intersect in whole brain irradiation?
The inferior margin may intersect the superior orbital ridge and EAM.
How much flash or shine should be seen at the borders of the field?
1cm of flash or shine over should be seen at the anterior, posterior, and superior borders of the field.
How may the fields be treated in whole brain irradiation?
The fields may be treated isocentrically or with a fixed SSD.
What is SRS?
SRS stands for Stereotactic Radiosurgery.
What types of radiation can be used in SRS?
SRS can use x-rays, gamma rays, or protons.
What does new research indicate about SRS?
New research indicates that eliminating whole brain radiation and delivering the entire dose via SRS provides more favorable cognitive outcomes, reduces late side effects, and has less of an impact on the patient’s quality of life.
How does CyberKnife locate the tumor?
Image-guided cameras locate the tumor’s position and remain locked on the target throughout the procedure.
What is unique about CyberKnife’s treatment process?
It is the only system that can compensate for patient movement during treatment.
What is a benefit of CyberKnife regarding patient comfort?
CyberKnife allows treatment without the use of a head or body frame, thus enhancing patient comfort during the procedure.
What is the Leskell Gamma Knife?
A Gamma knife machine used in radiosurgery treatments of brain tumors, utilizing 201 portals that accept Cobalt-60 sources in three sizes (4mm, 6mm, 8mm).
Each portal can be opened or closed depending on the area of treatment and plan.
What are the advantages of Proton Beam Radiosurgery?
It delivers most of its radiation into the intended target, conforms to the shape of the lesion, and minimizes radiation to normal tissue outside the target.
How long does Proton Radiosurgery take and how many treatment fields are involved?
Proton Radiosurgery takes about 1 hour and involves 3-6 treatment fields.
The stereotactic system uses a fixed proton beam.
What is the challenge of traditional Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)?
Traditional SRS is highly effective for small, spherical lesions, but becomes difficult for larger, irregularly shaped lesions due to uniform dose delivery challenges.
